The Scout Report - January 19, 2001

Scout Report for Science & Engineering
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/report/sci-eng/2001/se-010117.html
Volume 4, Number 10 of the Scout Report for Science & Engineering is available. The In the News section annotates ten resources on last-minute measures taken by the Clinton administration to protect natural areas. [MD]
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Survey on Doctoral Education and Career Preparation [.pdf]
http://www.wcer.wisc.edu/phd-survey/
The Wisconsin Center for Education Research (WCER) has recently placed online a summary report of a 1999 national survey of doctoral students. Over 4,000 students from 27 universities and representing eleven arts and sciences disciplines completed a 20-page survey. The results indicate a "three-way mismatch" between student expectations, PhD training, and the realities of the job market. The majority of doctoral students are interested in a faculty career despite the fact that in most fields only half of them will achieve this goal. Although most graduate programs, in the humanities at least, give the impression that a faculty job is the only option, a majority of respondents in the survey indicated that their programs had not prepared them for the duties of a faculty position, especially teaching. Despite this, nearly all of those who responded said they were happy with their decision to attend graduate school, and over half would not change their thesis topic or advisor. The full text of the summary report, along with Web tables and a profile of survey respondents, are available at the WCER site. [MD]
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George J. Mitchell Papers [.pdf, QuickTime]
http://library.bowdoin.edu/arch/mitchell/
Located at Bowdoin College, Mitchell's alma mater, this site is an outstanding model for any archive or library hosting personal papers as well as a boon to researchers. George Mitchell has led a distinguished career as Senator for Maine, Majority Leader, Special Advisor on the Northern Ireland peace process, and chairman of various committees. At the site, users will find very well organized background information, descriptions, and finding aids for the wealth of private and official papers deposited by Mitchell, along with access information. Also included are some concise research guides, numerous photos, a few audio and video clippings, the text of selected speeches, and links to related resources. [MD]
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A Biography of America -- Annenberg/CPB [Flash]
http://www.learner.org/biographyofamerica/
Produced by WGBH Interactive for Annenberg/CPB, this site functions as a companion to the 26-show telecourse and video program of the same name (though one need not have seen the videos to appreciate the site). From the front page, users can access sections of the site to accompany each of the 26 programs, from New World Encounters through The Redemptive Imagination. Each section offers a Flash component (these include timelines, maps, images with pop-up interpretation, and a nifty feature called "you decide," which offers the counterargument for opinions that users register about an issue, such as "Did the feminist movement improve American women's lives?"). In addition, each section includes a timeline of central events, a map, a transcript of the video, and an annotated list of links. American History and American Studies instructors will want to add this one to their list of links for students. [TK]
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The Index to Marine Geological Samples
http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/mgg/curator/curator.html
"The Index to Marine Geological Samples Database, also known as the Curators' Database, is a cooperative effort between nineteen oceanographic institutions and government agencies that maintain marine sample repositories to provide information on the contents of their collections to help researchers locate marine sediment and rock material for further analysis," states the homepage of this site provided by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA's) National Geophysical Data Center (reviewed in the January 17, 1997 Scout Report for Science & Engineering). Visitors to the site can access the search engine to look for specific samples in the database. Basic search fields include map coordinates, repository name, ship's name, date, water depth, and sampling device. Extended search fields such as sediment type and geologic age are also available. Pages giving contact information for participating institutions, recent updates, and data parameters are provided. The Curators' Database should be useful to graduate students and professionals putting together a project and looking for sample availability. [HCS]
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UNESCO Library Portal
http://www.unesco.org/webworld/portal_bib/
This new site from UNESCO is offered as a resource for information on both worldwide libraries and issues and news related to librarianship, with an emphasis on "activities in the Organization's fields of competence such as education, sciences, culture and information." As with most portals, this metasite features annotated links organized by category and topic. In this case, they include library Websites (organized by type), library associations and networks, preservation and access initiatives, librarianship, education and training, and conferences and meetings (this section helpfully lists specific events). Other features include library news and a featured site on the main page, an internal search engine, and a free newsletter. [MD]
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Encyclopedia of ED Stats -- NCES
http://nces.ed.gov/edstats/
Recently unveiled by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), this modest-looking site offers quick and easy access to recent versions of four of the center's most popular publications: The Condition of Education: 2000,The Digest of Education Statistics: 1999,Education Indicators: An International Perspective, and Youth Indicators 1996. From the site users can directly access the tables of contents, browse by subject area, and conduct full-text and table searches. Users may also search and browse previous versions of the The Condition of Education,The Digest of Education Statistics, and Projections of Education Statistics to 2007 and 2008. [MD]
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Irish Penal Laws
http://www.law.umn.edu/irishlaw/
The Penal Laws were originally passed in the late-seventeenth century and early-eighteenth century with the expressed goal of extirpating Catholicism in Ireland but failed in the purpose for numerous reasons, including very selective enforcement. Nonetheless, they were instrumental in establishing the political and economic Protestant ascendancy in Ireland and promoting sectarian conflict which continues to the present day. Hosted by the University of Minnesota Law School and created by Patricia Schaffer as part of her research for a forthcoming novel, this site is a useful resource for students and teachers of Irish history. The site offers the full text of penal statutes passed in the reigns of Queen Elizabeth I, William and Mary, King William III, Queen Anne, King George I and I, organized by date and subject matter. The site also includes a brief introduction and some related links. [MD]
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Bibliography: The Agreement on Cetaceans of the Black and Mediterranean Seas and Contiguous Atlantic Area (ACCOBAMS) -- Journal Of International Wildlife Law and Policy
http://www.jiwlp.com/cgi-bin/bibliog.cgi?category=@ACCOBAMS&full=N
The Journal of International Wildlife Law & Policy has recently added this item to its collection of searchable bibliographies (reviewed in the June 30, 2000 Scout Report). The bibliography indexes 1,288 citations on ACCOBAMS and may be searched by keyword or viewed in its entirety. The Journal plans to update the bibliography on a monthly basis. [MD]
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Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies [.pdf, Flash]
http://inaugural.senate.gov/
If you are reading this, then you are probably not on your way to Washington to attend the inaugural ceremonies. You can, however, learn about tomorrow's swearing-in ceremony and those of the past 200 years at this site from the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC). Chaired by Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), the Committee is charged with planning and conducting the inaugural activities at the Capitol. At the site, visitors will find information about the plans and activities of the JCCIC and its partner, the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee (AFIC), a FAQ, and press releases. Also included is a modest but nice collection of resources on past inaugurals back to 1801, with photos, a brief history, trivia, and related links. [MD]
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Nutrition.gov [Flash]
http://www.nutrition.gov/
This new site from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is designed to serve as a portal to resources and information on nutrition, healthy eating, and food safety available across government Websites. These resources are organized by category on the main page, including food facts, food safety, lifecycle issues, research, and health management, among others. Each of these is further divided by topic pages which offer links to related resources, some of which are annotated. While the organization of these varied sources of government information on one site is appreciated, Nutrition.gov does have a few minor drawbacks. The site's method of displaying links is more visually appealing than a standard metapage site listing, but it slows down the site unnecessarily. Some direct links are provided to selected reports and publications, but the press releases section just sends users to the appropriate pages at various agencies. Finally, the keyword search engine indexes all of FirstGov, producing a majority of irrelevant returns. [MD]
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Telework and the new Workplace for the 21st Century -- DOL [.pdf]
http://www.dol.gov/dol/asp/public/telework/main.htm
Released this week by the Department of Labor, this report explores the economics, organizational behavior, and social/ cultural implications of telework. The report is organized in three parts, each of which contains four commentaries by scholars, economists, social scientists, and others. Notable essays include "The Nuts and Bolts of Telework," "Human Resources Management and Development in the Telework Environment," and "Navigating Work and Parenting by Working at Home: Perspectives of Workers and Children Whose Parents Work At Home." All are available in both HTML and .pdf formats. [MD]
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Camping With the Sioux: Fieldwork diary of Alice Cunningham Fletcher
http://www.nmnh.si.edu/naa/fletcher/fletcher.htm
Anthropologist Alice Fletcher lived with Dakota Sioux women on reservations in Nebraska and South Dakota for six weeks in the fall of 1881 and recorded her experiences in two journals. This digital version of her diaries made available by the National Anthropological Archives includes her daily entries, 26 drawings, and 36 photographs that can be viewed alongside the text, or in a separate photograph gallery. The diaries can be navigated by date or simply paged through. Fletcher transcribed fifteen folktales during her time with the Sioux, which can be viewed in her journal entries, where they appear without titles, but often with some contextual information such as when the tale was told and who told it. The tales can also be accessed from a list of titles that link back to journal pages. The Learn More section is a list of books, archival collections, and Websites with additional information on Fletcher. [DS]
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Small-Scale Fruit Production: A Comprehensive Guide
http://ssfruit.cas.psu.edu/
Created and maintained by Penn State University Agricultural Services, this guide is a resource for "people who wish to produce fruit on a small scale (on one acre or less) and who are not legally licensed to use pesticides." The guide discusses topics such as getting started, pruning and training fruit trees, pests and pesticides, and controlling wildlife damage. It also includes individual chapters for each fruit type (pome, stone, grapes, berries, kiwi, etc.). Each of these includes fruit-specific information on planting, nutrition, harvest, and pest management, among other topics. All in all, this is a well-organized and very handy resource for anyone planning or maintaining a fruit garden. [MD]
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VetCentric
http://www.vetcentric.com/
Although subtitled "Veterinary Medicine Online," this site is aimed primarily at ordinary users and pet owners rather than professionals. The site offers a respectable collection of information and resources, much of it produced by general practitioners and board certified specialists on staff at VetCentric. Offerings include a veterinary medical encyclopedia, a knowledgebase/FAQ, glossary, weekly news items, and a magazine. Users may also submit their own questions. Registered users can access some additional free services. [MD]
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Mutopia [.pdf, PostScript]
http://www.mutopiaproject.org/
Modeling itself after Project Gutenberg, this volunteer project aims to make copyright-free musical scores available to everyone. Although copyright on a score expires 70 years after the composer's death, music publishers retain copyright on their typeset editions. Thus, the only legal way to copy this music is to write it out or typeset it yourself and allow others to make copies. This is precisely what contributors to Mutopia have done. All music at the site has been typeset using GNU Lilypond and is available for download as .pdf, PostScript, or Lilypond .ly files. MIDI files and preview images of the scores are also provided. Visitors may browse the collection by a number of options, including composer, instrument, style, and last updated. Some sections are still somewhat thin, but interested users will certainly want to pay the site a visit and monitor its future development. [MD]
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Top 20: Most Popular Downloads of the Year 2000
http://www.zdnet.com/downloads/top20/2000.html
This handy list from ZDNet details the 20 most-downloaded Windows programs of the year, with descriptions, system requirements, and ratings (though all have received five stars). The majority are useful utilities or Internet tools, so readers are encouraged to take a look. There are also a few surprises. Napster, for instance, barely squeaks in at number 20, and I was surprised by number 1 (you'll have to look for yourself). [MD]
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Al Bawaba
http://www.albawaba.com/
Available in both Arabic and English, this gateway links users to a wide variety of sites and resources from and about the Middle East. The heart of the site is the Webguide, which contains briefly annotated links organized by topic and category. These include Education & Academia, News & Media, References & Resources, and Culture & Society. Among the numerous additional resources at the site are news headlines, a business portal, travel information, and forums. [MD]
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PlanetPDF
http://www.planetpdf.com/
Provided by the Australian-based BinaryThing.com, this site is a useful resource for everything PDF. Resources include news, tools and plugins, articles and papers, information for developers, tips, and a forum. The site also offers a free newsletter and an internal search engine. [MD]
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Changing of the Guard
George W. Bush - Inauguration of the 43rd President -- CNN
http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/inauguration/2001/
Bush Inauguration 2001 -- Washington Post
http://washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/onpolitics/elections/inauguration.htm
The Bush/ Cheney Transition -- PBS NewsHour
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/inauguration/transition/index.html
New Bush Administration and Foreign Policy: Concerns and Hopes -- State Department
http://usinfo.state.gov/admin/005/wwwh0d21.html
Frontline: The Clinton Years [RealPlayer]
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/clinton/
The Clinton Legacy -- BBC News [RealPlayer]
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/in_depth/americas/2001/clinton_legacy/default.stm
Tomorrow at noon, George W. Bush will take the oath of office and become the 43rd President of the United States. After eight rather eventful years, the Republicans have retaken the Oval Office and retained, though just barely, their majorities in the House and Senate. President-elect Bush promised that he would bring bipartisan cooperation and a more civil tone to Washington, but some skeptics wonder if these are possible in a political landscape scarred and blasted by years of total war, investigations, and personal attacks. Regardless, the new administration will undoubtedly have different priorities and focal points than those of the Clinton White House, a prospect which assuredly heartens as many as it deeply troubles.

Readers can begin with CNN's special report, which includes complete coverage of the inauguration events, breaking news, photos, biographies, forums, and more. In-depth coverage and analysis of tomorrow's events and the transfer of power are also provided by the Washington Post and NewsHour. The US State Department's Foreign Media Reaction page offers a nice collection of commentary on the new administration and its possible foreign policy priorities from newspapers around the world. Those interested in just one last look at the Clinton years will enjoy the companion site to this week's outstanding Frontline special on President Clinton as well as the BBC special report. [MD]
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Michael de Nie Susan Calcari Rachael Bower Travis Koplow David Charbonneau Emily Missner Laura X. Payne Debra Shapiro Scott Watkins Ed Almasy Hilary C. Sanders Andy Yaco-Mink Manoj Ananthapadmanabhan Pat Coulthard Andy Yaco-Mink

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